Seal-lock.



No. 785,574. PATBNTED MAR. 2l, 1905.

J. J. RUSSELL.

SEAL LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.I0, 1903.

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WL'Wesses L /wmfar Mw- Q/f @M 'Jv/JMJ RUSSELL www/wam UNITED STATESPatented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE..

JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL, OF MILTON, NEW SOUTH VVALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TOJAMES OHANNON, OF PAKENHAM, NEW SOUTH WALES,

AUSTRALIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,574, dated March21, 1905. Application tied september 10, 1903.` serial No. 172,659.

To rl/Z/ whom, it T11/ty concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL,

assistant postmaster, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residingat Milton, in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth ofAustralia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks,specially applicable for strap-buckles, as of mail-bags, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention refers to seal-locks specially devised for use onmail-bags, though useful to prevent unauthorized access to any fasteningor other things, and it has been specially devised in order to constructsuch a lock having a straight sliding bolt with a positive lockingdevice unassisted by any mechanical spring; but in order that thisinvention may be clearly understood reference will now be made t'o thedrawings herewith, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of aseal-lock constructed according to these present improvements. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional elevation; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofmy improved seal-lock, the same being shown as broken away in order toillustrate its interior construction.

The strap, as ordinarily, has end 6, sewed or otherwise fastened tochape 7 which joins the sides 8 of the lock casing or box and is thepivot of the tongue 9, which takes on restbar 10. The buckle or lock-boxhas a hinged leaf or cover 11. Within this cover 11 is a chamber 12,adapted to receive the seal 13 of the lock, so as to form a ceiling ortop for the sliding bolt 15. The seal 13 is composed of strawboard orcardboard of suiiicient thickness that it may be centrally compressed orbulged under pressure and will recover its original shape and retainsuch shape, or this seal may be composed of Wood veneer oreasilydestructible metal orother fiat material having the same quality.The sliding bolt 15 iills the chamber 12 under the seal 13, which formsa guide for the said bolt 15. The forward end 16 of said bolt 15 isadapted to take in a socket or housing 17 on the end of the lock-casing.This bolt 15 has movement longitudinally,which is governed by itsshoulders 18 and 19. The back end of this bolt 15 is slotted and has apush-piece 20, protruding through the back of the cover 11. PivotedWithin this slot is a catch-piece 21, adapted to engage a stop 22 on theiioor of the chamber as the bolt slides within the same. This catch 21may have inclined faces, as shown in Fig. 2, to enable it to easily passthe inclined faces of the stop 22, or, as shown in Fig. 3, the back facemay be straight to abut against the corresponding straight forward faceof said stop 22, in which latter case said catch 21 must be lifted oversaid stop before the bolt can be withdrawn. The cover 11 has an orifice14 for revealing markings on the seal 13, and through which said sealmay be destroyed when required, and through which, as in theconstruction shown in Fig. 3, a hook may be inserted into orifice 24 toraise the catch 21 over the stop 22 to withdraw the bolt.

In use the bolt 15 is drawn outwardly, with the push-piece protrudingbackwardly from the hinge end, and the seal 13, having the qualitybefore mentioned, is inserted through the opening 25 in the side of thechamber 12, fitting comfortably over the sliding bolt 15, the catch 21being backwardly of the stop 22, in which position it is firmly held bysaid seal 13. When it is desired to lock and seal the fastening, thecover 11 is shut down and the bolt is forced outwardly by pushing on theend piece 20. The catch 21 is by this force caused to lift over the stop22 centrally, compressing and bulging that part of said seal 13 justabove' it until its end drops against the other face ofsaid stop 22, thebolt 15 engaging at the same time in its socket 17, where it is retainedby the stiffness of said seal, and the loc-k is thus secured or sealeduntil the seal 13 is destroyed and removed from above the catch 21, soas to allow it to again pass over the stop 22. The seal is destroyed byan appropriate tool through the orifice 14, and this, in the form of ahook-bar, is inserted into an enlargement 23 in said bolt 15, so as toWithdraw it, or it may be inserted in the orifice 21 Yin the catch 21 toraise it over the stop 22, and so withdraw the bolt and release thelock.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in What manner the same is to be performed I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. The combination of a casing having a movable coverportion, a locking-bolt for said portion, a catch for said bolt on oneof the members comprised by the casing and the bolt, and an abutment onthe other member, with a seal of flexible material protecting saidcatch, said seal being free to yield to permit the catch to pass theabutment, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two members detachably fastened together, a casingcovering the same and made witha movable cover portion, a locking-boltfor said portion, a pivoted catch, an inclined abutment therefor, and asealing-piece covering said catch, said piece.

being free to yield to permit the catch to pass the abutment when saidbolt is moved in one direction, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a device to be protected with a casing made in twoparts, lock mechanism for holding said parts together including ayieldable sealing-piece, a catch placed to be held in its lockingposition by said sealing-piece, and locking means coacting with saidcatch to hold the parts of the casing together, substantially asdescribed.

4, The combination of a frame, a cover hinged thereto, a sliding bolthaving a portion free to be moved into a position to project beyond theframe, a ieXible sealing-piece, a catch pivoted to said bolt and coveredby said sealing-piece, said frame having a portion placed to force thecatch into engagement With the sealing-piece and thereby move said pieceWhen the device is being brought to its locked position, substantiallyas described.

5. A device to be protected in combination with a frame having a movablecover, an abutment on the frame, a bolt carried by the cover for lockingit to the frame, a catch on said bolt, With a sealing-piece of iiexiblematerial placed over said catch and free to yield to permit the catch topass the abutment, substantially as described.

6. A device to be protected in combination with a frame having a movablecover and an v abutment provided with an inclined face, a

JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

A. FoRAN, ARTHUR H. SMITH.

